DALLAS —The Blues’ first opportunity to bring Artemi Panarin to St. Louis was several years ago.

It’s a story many in St. Louis will remember, fellow Russian Vladimir Tarasenko pining for the Blues to sign Panarin back in 2013. The club had talks with Tom Lynn, Panarin’s former agent, but it wasn’t one of the finalists for the forward, who eventually agreed to terms with Chicago.

Panarin put up 77 points in 81 games as a rookie in 2015-16, winning the NHL’s Calder Trophy, and when the Blues met the Blackhawks in the playoffs that year, fans were not thrilled to learn that Tarasenko had tipped the team off about Panarin, but he had still gotten away. In fact, following Game 1, former Blues coach Ken Hitchcock joked about the job title of Tarasenko, the right winger who had just signed an eight-year, $60 million contract.

“Instead of giving him $8 million (per year), we should have hired him as a scout,” Hitchcock...